As imprudent as it was to have cherry trees chopped down in the courtyard of Queens Borough Hall, it is even more imprudent to spend $17 million in difficult economic times on an atrium project (“Boro Hall stripped of woods,” TimesLedger Newspapers, Aug. 16-22).
There can be no justification for this useless project, which will not serve a public need in any way. This taxpayer debacle clearly rests with Borough President Helen Marshall’s egoism. When the old city Board of Estimate was correctly declared unconstitutional and abolished, the borough president offices were stripped of any legislative power and became nothing more than useless political patronage mills.
Because of term limits, they will now become the musical chairs dumping ground for politicians term limited out of office.
People should give serious thought to abolishing the offices of borough president and the tens of millions of dollars wasted on the offices should be spent on worthwhile public needs.
Benjamin M. Haber
Flushing
